


Lovino of the Silver Tongue

by HeartofCanada (Tassledown), Tassledown



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Adult-bodied Romano to be clear, Fluff, Human Names, M/M, Pirates, Theft and lying and so forth, historical fiction - Freeform, lots of teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-03-01 21:36:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2788571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tassledown/pseuds/HeartofCanada, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tassledown/pseuds/Tassledown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spain is too much a pirate to avoid running into the law all the time, and this isn't even the first time it's been a Louisiana jail. Fortunately for him, Romano is there to get him out - and it's always delights him to watch the Italian work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lovino of the Silver Tongue

**Author's Note:**

> Let me just clarify this off the bat: I do not write Nations growing up slowly, so this is adult-bodied Lovino with adult Antonio. (By my headcanon, Lovino is actually older or the same age as Antonio.)  
> Also, I did not do much research for this. Feel free to point out historical things I need to fix, but I wrote this for Spamano fluff and nothing else.

Antonio sat against the wall in a French jail cell in Louisiana and lamented the loss of his hat. He didn't think they'd found his ship, but he'd been caught with some of his stolen goods and Louisiana did not take kindly to pirates. 

And he had a hard time not getting read as a pirate when he was having a good day.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been in the jail cell, but by the time he was bored but before he was worried he heard a commotion coming down the stairs. He quickly hid a smile.

“No, I really am very sorry, he winds up with such terrible purchases, I fully believe he'd have fallen for the idea the items were legit, he's just such a pushover! You wouldn't believe!”

“You know that's still a crime,” the guard said.

“Yes, of course, I'm sure he'll pay the fine for it, it's not something he would shirk, I assure you! He has the money; that's his problem – more money than sense!”

The guard and a young man in very formal clothes came into the downstairs. His rescuer, Lovino, was speaking perfect French, but his dress and manners were so very Italian Antonio wondered how the guard didn't pick up on this. The only possible reason was because it was a cheaply paid guard in the colonies and nothing more.

Lovino turned to face him quickly and glared. “I cannot believe you, sir, that you fell for that again!”

“I'm sorry,” Antonio grinned and hauled himself to his feet. “I can't resist such nice goods. They're always so incredibly tempting! I had to have it. Please forgive me, you know your father would.”

“My father is not here and you should damn well have more self-control!” Lovino stepped back and gestured imperiosly at the door. “Let him out already!”

The guard hurriedly undid the lock and stepped back. Antonio stepped out and kissed Lovino on the cheek quickly in greeting. “Thank you for coming for me.”

The youth pushed him off with a scowl. “Yeah, sure, whatever. You owe the guy money, go sort that out.”

“Of course, assuming you brought my purse?”

The bag was dumped into his hand and then Lovino shot another smile at the guard. “Thank you for doing your job.”

“Of course, Master Vargas. Um, that will be upstairs for you, Mr. Gonzalez.”

The guard went up the stairs first. Antonio dropped another kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Lovino.”

“Save it for when you figure out how to make up for how much you cost us with this,” Lovino hissed back.

They'd have gotten out fine if the Captain of the Guard hadn't come in while they were sorting the paperwork out. “Why are you letting him go?” he demanded.

“Ah, sir,” The guard waved at Lovino. “Master Vargas assures me he knows him and that he wasn't the one who stole the goods originally.”

“I sent a runner to Baton Rouge to confirm if he was a pirate or not; he's not back yet. He's staying here until then, with his accomplice.” The Captain glared at Lovino. 

Lovino gave him his best desperate look, and Antonio had to hide another smile as Lovino pulled out the best of his skills.

“Sir, you don't understand, Mr Gonzalez is a long time, very long term friend of my family. He's such a nice person, he'd never wear a sword for more than decoration and his family name, he doesn't have the first clue what to do with one, all the nice weapons he has, they're gifts, see?” Lovino placed himself in front of the Captain of the Guard, doing his best impression of someone helpless and more verbose than clever. “His father was a military man, he thinks his son will do so much as his heir, but this fool, see, he's so sweet on the arts he'll go straight to anyone who's selling them and start asking all the questions.” 

Antonio watched his hands move expressively but never stray far from his own, well-hidden knives. He let himself get absorbed in watching him, knowing he wasn't needed unless Lovino failed – and Lovino never failed.

“I'm sure you know that just talking to a smuggler like that, some nasty pirate is so incredibly dangerous!” Lovino flashed his hands out to his sides, placating. “They know exactly what to say and Antonio – Mr. Gonzalez, I mean, sir – he's such an open book it'd be impossible for them not to snag him! I've told him and told him it'll get him in trouble to go out buying these things on his own, without someone to guide him, but he just can't help himself!”

“And your friend just can't help buying stolen goods, huh?” The Captain's voice conveyed a world of disapproval.

“He'd have never done such a thing had he known they were stolen, sir! He just doesn't know how to tell, he's so honest but he has so much money it just goes to his head!”

The Captain of the Guard crossed his arms. “And does he think he can just buy his way out of this?”

“Of course not, of course not! We'd be happy to do our best to tell you what you need to know to capture that nasty pirate who stole the goods and to compensate the merchant for their loss and for your time and whatever food that lout ate while he was here!”

“You can't buy your way out of stealing someone else's goods.”

“Of course not!” Lovino took a bracelet off his wrist and offered it to the man. “Look, we don't have the money for all those things on us right now, but I promise you, this was my grandmother's! She lived in France, she was a very nice woman, very lovely, she wore this on her deathbed. We can go and get you the rest of the money for the compensation, and anything else – I'm sure Antonio got a receipt, he always does, you see, he likes to keep track of where he gets things to talk about it later, but this, this will help you find the theif and it will do you so much good. I'll leave this with you, and you know it means something to me so we'll be back for it and you won't lose us.”

The Captain took the bracelet with a skeptical look, but it changed as he felt the weight of it – it was 18 karat gold and Antonio was struggling not to smile. That bracelet hadn't been on Lovino's wrist more than a few months, although it had come off a Frenchwoman alright.

It was also worth more than ten times the goods that had been found on Antonio at his arrest.

“I will of course expect you back for this,” The Captain said. His face was unhappy, but the bribe appeared to be more than adequate. “I don't expect to see you until you come back with the receipt you claim you have. Is that clear?”

“Of course sir, thank you so much. I really appreciate the trust you're putting in me, this is such a good place to live, such a wonderful city, thank you. You take good care of your people. Antonio, c'mon, we're going to be stuck in your room for hours looking for that.”

Lovino turned and took hold of Antonio's hand and they walked out of the guardhouse together with Antonio's personal effects, short several ounces of gold and one bracelet.

Antonio kissed Lovino on the head as soon as they were further into the city. “You're always so amazing to see at work, you know?” 

Lovino laughed softly and hugged him around the waist. “I forget what that's like sometimes, talking like that. It all comes so fast.”

“I wish I could've seen your face. That's always the best part.”

Lovino punched him in the ribs with a laugh. “Jerk. You just like to see my mouth moving.”

“Your face is just so expressive, it's like watching the colours in the sky change at dusk.”

Antonio glanced down in time to see Lovino turn bright red at his compliments. The young man looked up at him again and lifted his mouth to kiss him quickly on the lips as they made their way past the docks to the road out of town. 

“That was ridiculously poetic,” Lovino said flatly, but the half-smile at the corners of his mouth suggested otherwise. “You should apologize.”

“I should,” Antonio agreed. “I'm not going to.”

“Tomato jerk.”

Antonio laughed and leaned his head down to Lovino's ear, to whisper, “That'll never mean the same since I know how much you Italians love your foods, Lovito.”

Lovino grabbed the front of his shirt and glared into his face. “You're a tomato jerk and a pirate and you've kept me away from my brother for almost sixty years now, and you owe me something for every one of them.”

“Yes, I do.” Antonio smiled back at him. “Although if you keep giving away the jewellery I get you, I'm not sure how I'll keep up.”

Lovino let go of his shirt. “Well, maybe you should stop getting caught and making me bail you out. Now you owe our crew for the material, me for the bracelet, and yourself for the coin you had to pay.”

“Well, you could have left me there, I'd survive the gallows.”

Lovino made a face at him. “What kind of scum do you think I am? I wouldn't let you die.”

“Don't tell me it's sentiment.”

Lovino crossed his arms over his chest. “First off it's disgusting and you'd need new clothes after which is an expense on its own. Second, I am not digging through corpses for you, and third, I'd have to find us a new ship and a new crew because it will be known that you died and that's not something pirate crews are particularly willing to buy.”

“Oh good,” Antonio smiled back at him. “I'd hate to think you were attached to me for sentimental reasons.”

“I'm your vassal,” Lovino said, his face too serious to be real. “It's definitely not sentiment.”

“Definitely not.” Antonio started walking again, amused.

“Very much so.”

“You'd never get sentimental about someone who wasn't your brother.”

“Not at all,” Lovino agreed.

“Especially not enough to ask me for gifts to make up for not seeing him rather than insisting I leave you behind when I go off to be a silly Nation wandering the high seas for adventure and harrassing England.”

“That would be ridiculous.”

“Very ridiculous.”

“Besides, half the gifts I send home to Venezia anyways.”

“Yes, I remember. I couldn't possibly see you wearing some of those necklaces.”

“Those were hardly pieces you could wear with clothing one has on a ship, Antonio!”

“I would believe your objection more were I not letting you pick them out yourself from what we take.”

“Augh,” Lovino jogged up to grab his shoulder and spun him around. “You need to stop teasing me like this when we're not on the ship!”

“Oh?” Antonio startled. “And why not?”

“Because now I'm fucking horny!”

Antonio grinned broadly back at him and stroked his face. “You're so right, I'm sorry.”

“You should be!” Lovino groaned loudly again and sighed. “Fucking Frenchmen and their safe ports and how far we have to anchor from the city.”

“Yes, but then I'd owe you all new jewellery again Lovino, and you don't want that either.”

“Oh shut up and hurry up.”

Antonio slipped his arm around Lovino's shoulders and kept walking again, looking forward to getting back to the ship.


End file.
